--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think that good politics ever…" description: "\"I don't think that good politics ever excuse a bad song.\" — Greg Brown" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/greg-brown-27935_excuse_i-don-t-think-that-good-politics-ever-ex_2436957.jpg" --- # I don't think that good politics ever excuse a bad song. ![“I don't think that good politics ever excuse a bad song.” quote by Greg Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/greg-brown-27935_excuse_i-don-t-think-that-good-politics-ever-ex_2436957.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/greg-brown-27935_excuse_i-don-t-think-that-good-politics-ever-ex_2436957.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/greg-brown-27935_excuse_i-don-t-think-that-good-politics-ever-ex_2436957.jpg) > “I don't think that good politics ever excuse a bad song.” [Greg Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-brown/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A song’s political message cannot redeem poor musical quality; art must be both substantive and well crafted. **In simple terms:** Bad music remains bad, even with good politics. Key Takeaway Strive for artistic excellence alongside meaningful content. Themes music politics artistry Mood reflective critical Type cultural musical When to use this quote - concerts - radio playlists - educational curricula - social media - political campaigns Key Concepts songwriting cultural critique media literacy Questions to Reflect On - Can a politically powerful song still inspire change despite its flaws? - What standards should we apply to evaluate art? A Different Perspective May discount the emotional impact of music despite technical flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-song-352098/) [Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-politics-326713/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Politics Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics-excuse-352099/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Good economics is good politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/good-economics-is-good-politics/) [Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/) > [I don't like doing substandard work... I can't sleep at night if I make a bad song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaal-mallik/i-don-t-like-doing-substandard-work-i-can-t-sleep-at-night-if-i-make/) [Amaal Mallik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaal-mallik/) > [There's nothing worse than being stuck with a bad song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reitzell/there-s-nothing-worse-than-being-stuck-with-a-bad-song/) [Brian Reitzell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reitzell/) > [The reality is not exactly what the song started out to be, but it's not a bad song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-james-waller/the-reality-is-not-exactly-what-the-song-started-out-to-be-but-it-s/) [Robert James Waller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-james-waller/) > [“I nodded. "I've been there. I obsess over mixes all the time. If there's one bad song on there, it kills the whole thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-benway/i-nodded-i-ve-been-there-i-obsess-over-mixes-all-the-time-if-there-s/) [Robin Benway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-benway/) > [My attitude these days is, if you write a bad song, what are they gonna do, throw you in songwriter jail?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hiatt/my-attitude-these-days-is-if-you-write-a-bad-song-what-are-they-gonna/) [John Hiatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hiatt/) > [Bad singing on a good song, makes a bad song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/bad-singing-on-a-good-song-makes-a-bad-song/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [That is the difference between a good song and a bad song lyrically - if you can listen to it and put yourself in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/that-is-the-difference-between-a-good-song-and-a-bad-song-lyrically/) [Ne-Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/) > [Sometimes videos make a bad song very tight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-sweatshirt/sometimes-videos-make-a-bad-song-very-tight/) [Earl Sweatshirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-sweatshirt/) > [A bad song, the three best singers in the world cannot save it, and that's the bottom line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quincy-jones/a-bad-song-the-three-best-singers-in-the-world-cannot-save-it-and/) [Quincy Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quincy-jones/) > [I've never made a bad song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-bieber/i-ve-never-made-a-bad-song/) [Justin Bieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-bieber/) > [“And I'm not saying it's a bad song, you know, or anything like that. All I'm saying is that if you get, I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/and-i-m-not-saying-it-s-a-bad-song-you-know-or-anything-like-that-all/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [Studying James Fauntleroy, I learned it's okay to write a bad song. Just write another one the next day and hope that it's better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/studying-james-fauntleroy-i-learned-it-s-okay-to-write-a-bad-song/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) > [Is there a bad song on 'Sign O' The Times?' There isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/is-there-a-bad-song-on-sign-o-the-times-there-isn-t/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [“My mind seemed to think in terms of very bad song lyrics these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hester-browne/my-mind-seemed-to-think-in-terms-of-very-bad-song-lyrics-these-days/) [Hester Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hester-browne/) ## More by Greg Brown > [I think the Internet has real potential for building community. People all around the world talking to each other can't be a bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-brown/i-think-the-internet-has-real-potential-for-building-community-people/) [Greg Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-brown/) > [I think the sweet thing about my job, more than the music I sing, is that I come into some town and a really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-brown/i-think-the-sweet-thing-about-my-job-more-than-the-music-i-sing-is/) [Greg Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-brown/) > [I don't think of community as being a romantic notion. I think it's as vital as air and water, and so I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-brown/i-don-t-think-of-community-as-being-a-romantic-notion-i-think-it-s-as/) [Greg Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-brown/) > [“You shoulda married someone, a whole lot more like you-- drink coffee in the little cafes, and you could go out shopping too. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-brown/you-shoulda-married-someone-a-whole-lot-more-like-you-drink-coffee-in/) [Greg Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-brown/) > [“People are in the dark, they don't know what to do I had a little lantern, oh but it got blown out too. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-brown/people-are-in-the-dark-they-don-t-know-what-to-do-i-had-a-little/) [Greg Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-brown/) > [Much is written about wine ... of its makers, its nuances, its myths. 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I hope you are too. I just want to be in the dark with you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-brown/i-m-reaching-out-my-hand-i-hope-you-are-too-i-just-want-to-be-in-the/) [Greg Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-brown/) > [Teamwork is not a matter of persuading yourself and your colleagues to set aside personal ambitions for the greater good. It's a matter of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-brown/teamwork-is-not-a-matter-of-persuading-yourself-and-your-colleagues/) [Greg Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-brown/) > [My job as a songwriter is to write good songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-brown/my-job-as-a-songwriter-is-to-write-good-songs/) [Greg Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-brown/) [Explore all 20 Greg Brown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-brown/) ## More Excuse quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [Win without boasting. Lose without excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-payson-terhune/win-without-boasting-lose-without-excuse/) [Albert Payson Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-payson-terhune/) > [And the commitment that I've been giving to the Australian people is that there'll be no surprises and no excuses under a Coalition government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/and-the-commitment-that-i-ve-been-giving-to-the-australian-people-is/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [Dont leave without a reason, and then try to come back with an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-leave-without-a-reason-and-then-try-to-come-back-with-an-excuse/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Using, as an excuse, others' failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/using-as-an-excuse-others-failure-of-common-sense-is-in-itself-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [I'm not the guy who will sit in a room with somebody who's using a bunch of big words and just act like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/i-m-not-the-guy-who-will-sit-in-a-room-with-somebody-who-s-using-a/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [Worst Break Up Excuse; 'You deserve so much better.' Translation: They've already moved on whether you like it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/worst-break-up-excuse-you-deserve-so-much-better-translation-they-ve/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lie is an excuse guarded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/a-lie-is-an-excuse-guarded/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Live with No Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyanendra/live-with-no-excuse/) [Gyanendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyanendra/) [Browse all 2,435 Excuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't think that good politics ever excuse a bad song.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Greg Brown" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-brown/i-don-t-think-that-good-politics-ever-excuse-a-bad-song/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Excuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-brown/i-don-t-think-that-good-politics-ever-excuse-a-bad-song/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/greg-brown-27935_excuse_i-don-t-think-that-good-politics-ever-ex_2436957.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/greg-brown-27935_excuse_i-don-t-think-that-good-politics-ever-ex_2436957.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/greg-brown-27935_excuse_i-don-t-think-that-good-politics-ever-ex_2436957.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't think that good politics ever excuse a bad song.” — Greg Brown", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Greg Brown", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-brown/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't think that good politics...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-brown/i-don-t-think-that-good-politics-ever-excuse-a-bad-song/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-brown/i-don-t-think-that-good-politics-ever-excuse-a-bad-song/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```